Diplomacy and International Organizations

This concentration is designed to give students a thorough grounding in the history
of diplomacy and conflict resolution, familiarize them with the domestic actors and
institutions formulating nations' foreign affairs, as well as introduce them to international
institutions, nongovernmental actors, and international law. Students in the concentration
will also gain an understanding of American participation in the international and
diplomatic arenas.

Graduates of this concentration are good candidates for positions in US federal agencies
such as the State Department, Pentagon, the intelligence community, Peace Corps, and
US aid organizations; they also will be prepared for work in international organizations
such as the UN, OAS, or American governmental agencies that deal with the European
Union; students should also be directed towards non-governmental organizations operating
worldwide such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Think tanks and private companies
(such as oil companies operating in the New Orleans-Houston corridor) giving risk
assessment for multinational corporations investing abroad are also likely to employ
graduates from this concentration.

Languages

The traditional language of diplomacy is French, but students with an interest in
a specific global region may choose the language appropriate to that interest.

Course Distribution Requirements

The BAIS requires 24 hours of course work in the student's chosen concentration. 3
hours of that course work must include IS 4998 (International Studies Internship).
12 hours must be taken in courses that are 2000-level or above. In addition, the concentration
of 24 hours plus the 7 hours of electives must include 15 hours of course work in
the social sciences. No more than 9 hours of the 24 hours can be in a single discipline.
Students in the concentration are required to take at least one of the following:
HIST 4381, 4570, 4575, 4580, or 4581 (they may take three); and at least one of the
following: POLI 4800, 4820, 4860, 4885, or 4890 (they may take three); and PHIL 2205.